Task 5: Create your brand

1) Online presence – 

online portfolio (this could be a website or a profile on a creative platform) 
I have created an attractive website, where I have re-branded slightly, from last year's branding. Firstly, I have updated the Avatar/profile picture to be more dynamic - it is now on a three-quarter pose as opposed to a two-quarter head shot. Later, I will re-visit the colour pallet and as i am considering changing this from pink to red, black, grey and white.  I also want to introduce a comic book style to my website.

This is my website
https://cathyjayart.wixsite.com/cathyjart

I have also changed my user name from Jenny_animates to Cathyj art as I decided that my previous user name sounded too generic. Options I considered for my user name included variations of my own name, such as: JayC Art, Jaylee Art, ArtByJenny and JC Art

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-leece-2a9650174/ - 

I will use online professional media to promote your practice, publicise my work and engage with national and international practitioners, clients, studios and communities of practice. By using Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn; posting regularly; posting work I am most proud of; up-dating my work and keeping the style consistent with only posting digital work.

2) Printed materials – 

business cards (a digital design and one printed copy for submission) - I created a business card - on one side it has my Mary Annings' interior room design.  On the other side is my character design alongside my contact information. to my sure it looked goof in both colour and in black and white i only used the line art for side with my character designs on. 

Back/front: Mary Annings B&W Background 

Designing my website/business cards. What went well?

• Both business card designs work well in letting the audience know what my profession is without me actually telling them.
• Both make good use of the space
• they look good is black and white as well as i colour. 

Back/front: Mary Annings Colour background 

Back/front:: Character design and Vis Development/illustrations

Back/front: The Dragon and The Moon

What could be improved?
The background on the 2nd one could be a little sharper. However I can't physically change the resolution/DPI I just have to hope it will look good once it's sent to print.I could have used more imagery from my final film so that people would associate that with me.
I also have made a website using Wix. I'm using mainly to show off my different portfolios. It has a minimal aesthetic, like an art gallery. It scales well when accessed on my phone. It has all of my contact information on.

Back/front:: Character design and Vis Development/illustrations

I have also made a creative CV. As I state I earlier posts. I am willing at the moment to just to do anything creative when I graduate. Although this is a creative CV. If there is a specific job role I want to apply for I will tailor it to be more specific to that role. 

Bonus Post. Thoughts On Teaching

Teaching

If I where to go into teaching I could only reasonably teach either art or IT. I’d have more of a chance of teaching IT because it is a stem subject. I’d be more likely to get a job as an IT teacher because I'd be a woman teaching a STEM subject. On the other hand, my degree is arts related. So, I guess I’d have a decent chance of being able to teach both.  As for universities I’d like to study at, I think this time around I’d like to stay within Merseyside as it is closer to what little family I have left and is closer to my home town friends. So, it would be easier to access support should I need it.

My top choice would be Edge Hill University. It used to be a specialised teaching uni, so they have really high standards. Wirral Met College and Southport college are my second. My 3^rd is The City Of Liverpool College as it has a bit of a bad reputation but it’d be easier to get into.

I’d fund my studies by working part time and taking out a small loan to cover 25% or ¼ of the cost. The cost of a PGCE is around £9000 so the loan would be around £2250. If I teach a STEM subject or decide to go into SEND teaching I can apply for a bursary/scholarship which will also help. But I defiantly need to look more into funding. There are also other types of teaching courses available that don't cost as much. 

Task 3: Network

Part 1: Set up or update your LinkedIn account

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-leece-2a9650174/



Here are the people i have pestered so far
I asked them what sort of things they'd put specifically in a concept art/visual development portfolio I feel like I have all of the basic things like character design and turnaround, backgrounds. But is there anything else I could add or that I should take into consideration. 
I changed what i said slightly for each person then, after contacting  around 8 or so I changed it more so again by asking them for how they got into the industry and do that have any tips for me? In total i must have contacted around 

• I will defiantly be going to MAF next year even though I will be paying the full price. I may conciser volunteering there the year after next. https://www.manchesteranimationfestival.co.uk/
• There is also Manchester Experimental Film Festival, which I believe (although don't quote me) is a separate thing from MAF http://www.maniff.com/experimental-film-festival
• I will continue to volunteer at Threshold festival in Liverpool for as long as it is going https://thresholdfestival.co.uk/
• I will also go to Chester animation festival (parts of Chester International Film Festival) https://www.storyhouse.com/chester-international-film-festival
• I will possibly also be going Cardiff animation festival. http://www.cardiffanimation.com/
• London International Animation Festival http://www.liaf.org.uk/
• Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival https://www.encounters.film/
• Leeds International Film Festival https://www.leedsfilm.com/
• Edinburgh International Film Festival https://www.leedsfilm.com/
• i should tale advantage of the university start up Wednesday

I have also networked/ collaborated with students from Leeds College of Music. I have them all added on Facebook so that I can continue to keep in touch and network with them, with the potential of working together in the future. 

I also have the dance students that i befriended from my search for a new dancer for extended practise. I have a few of them on Facebook and I have have their emails. If an opportunity arises to collaborate in the future I can contact them easily. 

I also have all of my creative peers added on both LinkedIn and Facebook so I can continue to keep in touch with them after university. 

I went to Manchester Animation Festival for the first time this (academic) year and I got to talk with Shaun the Sheep. He wouldn't give me a job on his farm but he did let me smoosh his head fur. It's all lies its not actual fur! I talked with his director, Will Becher, about what it was like directing/managing such a big production. I gained some useful information that has inspired me on my own projects. 

I was 'fan girling' too much to talk with Michaël Dudok de Wit. I was too shy to even ask a question. I did want to ask him what it was like collaborating with Isao Takahata, and how he dealt with that kind of pressure, and what were some of the things he did to cope.  I would have found this conversation useful if I'd have had the confidence to ask these questions. 

I also said hi to Terry from The Animation Workshop; we spoke for a while about traditional animation and I told her about why I couldn't work with watercolour animation for my final film (it was too expensive).

Task 4: Exit strategy

Before graduation

• Re brand online presence as Cathy J Art. Done!
• Make business cards. Done
• Make website. Done
• Make a creative CV. Done
• Put finished designs on Redbuble. In progress
• Put creations, paintings and prints on Etsy. In progress
• Put together portfolio. Done
• look at and go to open days for masters in visual communication. In progress.

After Graduation

• Move back in with parents
• look at flats/studio apartments to move out again
• Apply to studios in Liverpool and Merseyside. Doesn't have to be animation. I'll do anything creative at this point.
• Also apply to retail jobs
• Maintain Etsy and Redbubble shop
• Maintain social media prescience and website. 
• Apply for masters in either visual communication or teaching. 

Task 2: Scan the horizon

Where would I like to work, short & long term 
Long term, not that interested in animation. To be honest. The last 3 years have taught me that my mental health should be the priority. Working in the creative sector with all of its job insecurities makes me anxious. I also don't think I'm good enough witch makes me depressed. I would like a job with more stability. Probably in teaching, although I know it isn't completely stress free or stable. I might do freelance on the side. I've always wanted to set up my own Etsy shop. I might do that. I defiantly want to do a Masters. More to prove to myself that I can do it than anything else. Any Masters will also benefit my teaching pursuits. (refer to The Master Plan) 

Short term, I'd like to try and get a job in something creative although I don't think I'll last. I want to set up a website so that I can sell things. I also want to attend craft fairs and sell stuff there. So pretty much freelance? Overall, I'd like to have a job in something creative, but if not teaching will be my fall back. 

I know about my dream role 
My dream is to have a stable job as a concept/ visual development artist, background designer/painter but also tell my own stories on the side. Whether that be though animation, comics or illustrations I don't know. I'd be looking for jobs around Merseyide, to be closer to family and within a 2hr commuting distance from wherever i'm living. That gives me plenty of scope. It means Leeds will still be on the table as well as Manchester, Chester, Huddersfield, Birmingham  and some (if not most?) of Wales. To do this I need to get better at drawing, specifically perspective and human proportions/anatomy. I also need to get better at colouring/shading and lighting 

Who I know that might help me get a foot in the door.
Industry contacts? 
Collaborators? Friends from uni.But also, i have quite a few friends from back home that have jobs within the creative industry. Everyone is someone to potentially network with. So that includes friends made on the course. Especially certain ones who have decided to set up there own studio. 
Commissions and Potential clients?I can get commissions by attending networking events and selling my work at comic cons, conventions, raft fairs and flea markets. Liverpool Baltic Triangle would be a great place to do this as well as Liverpool comic con and Wirral comic con. 

Networking opportunities based upon where you want to work 
Festivals (and Comic Cons)
Threshold, Chester Animation Festival, Manchester Animation Festival, Wirral Comic Con, Liverpool Comic Con
Networking events and Industry meetups?
Social Media Meetup, https://twitter.com/Social_Meetup 
I can lean how to better manage my professional social medias and use them as a tool to build an audience
Connect The Dots https://the-dots.com/
This is a networking event aimed at connecting freelance people to each other and to company's.
FACT https://www.fact.co.uk/
FACT always has things going on with regards to networking. They primarily a cinema but they do loads of cool networking stuff and they work closely with the BFI.
Opportunities for chats and pubs where people go after work?
Everyone and everyone in Liverpool that works within the creative industry has been to or at least heard of Peter Kavanagh's Pub. I could ask in there if anyone  knows if there are any job openings or creative opportunity. I can also meet people to collaborate and chat.

The other place people go is the Baltic Triangle.Its full of small local creative business.There is the Baltic Creative and The Baltic Social where all the cool arty-hipster type like to hang out. This would provide many networking opportunity. 

Task 1: Review your presence

My practice
I don't consider myself to be specifically an animator. My practice involves visual development and background design but I'm also a visual storyteller. I think I'd want to tell stories on important or current topics that people might not necessarily be aware of.

I just don't know if I want them to be animated. This will be achieved either digitally and traditionally by Photoshop, Illustrator , After Effects and TvPaint. I want to make and tell stories like Isao Takahata.  I want to get other people to create them for me, whilst I take a more producer/directorial role. 

My skillset 
Academic writing, comic and concept art, storytelling, background and set design. Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and TvPaint

The Master Plan (very original, I know) 
So I have a plan A ,B ,C and D, because I like to over think things. 

Plan A) Leeds is dead to me. To be honest it never felt alive so I want to move back to Liverpool for a year, where there is much creative opportunity at the moment at places such as, Littlewood Studios, the Baltic Triangle etc. I would like a position in a retail job, whilst working freelance at the same time, probably setting up an Etsy shop and attending art/craft conventions or have 1 year to get into industry, if that goes to plan then yay! Carry on, if not then...

Plan B) after that year, go back to university to study a Master's in Visual Communication. I've been to a couple of open days already. I was thinking of applying to at least Teeside, Hull and York St John. My Master's research will be focused on examining Japan's society and culture through different lenses and seeing what stories I can tell from that and how best to tell them. It'll also give me an excuse to travel to Japan which has been a really big dream for me for a really long time. I would also be the 1st person in my family to get a Master's degree. 

Plan C) all of the above, but after my Masters, if I still am not able to get into industry. I will go back to school yet again, and get a PGCE and become a teacher. 

Plan D) if everything goes wrong this year and I fail miserably, by the University's own regulations, I should still be awarded a Degree. Although, it just won't be with Honours . So that should be enough to allow me to go onto an Open Masters, which I will take in creative writing and teaching . After that, I'll try to get a PGCE and become an assistant teacher or tutor. 

My online presence in light of my earlier responses
I feel as though i had an unhealthy relationship with social media. I would go on it and compare my work to others. It made me anxious and paranoid that I wasn't doing or working hard enough to improve or that I wasn't posting enough. But I do need to post more often in order to build an audience for my practice. I need to engage with that audience by using features, such as Instagram stories. I also need to cross-post on multiple platforms, such as, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Study Task 4 - Networking

Identify at LEAST 10 Networking opportunities. These could be conferences, festivals, volunteering opportunities, openings, premieres, virtual networks etc. You should list dates and what you would hope to get out of attending.

MAF
www.manchesteranimationfestival.co.uk

What do I hope to gain from going to this?
I hope to gain a better insight into the world of animation, as I want to push myself out of my comfort zone.  Attending this festival will give me some idea of the standards of both professional and non-professional animations. The event will also help me to keep up to date and I will be able to compare my work to the work of others in the same field.

Thought bubble
 https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/

What do I hope to gain from going to this?
Thought Bubble will show comics which will inspire me to create different characters. I can also use this as an opportunity to network and collaborate with other animators.


Animex 
http://animex.tees.ac.uk/holding.cfm

What do I hope to gain from going to this?
Seeing 3D animation at this festival will help develop my understanding of 3D technologies in the context of animation.

Comic-Con World - Blackpool 2019 
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/comic-con-world-blackpool-2019-tickets-52947603708

What do I hope to gain from going to this?
The Comic-Con event provides a variety of media and this will be of interest to me, as comics, animations and Manga will be included, together with industry professionals.


Canterbury Anifest 
https://www.canterburyanifest.com/

What do I hope to gain from going to this?
This should provide me with networking opportunities which are very useful when looking to enter the animation industry.

Chester Animation Festival
http://www.festival.chesterfilmfans.co.uk/?page_id=227

What do I hope to gain from going to this?
This festival shows a range of films, which will display different techniques and this will inform my process and professional practice. This is also a festival that I want to submit my short films to as I love Chester and I've been to the film festival twice now.  I went with friends from the Pokemon Go community who understand what it's like to have anxiety. It was a really positive experience for all of us. 

Flatpack Film Festival
https://flatpackfestival.org.uk/

What do I hope to gain from going to this?
This multi-media film festival will serve to develop me culturally. I can also check out what other filmmakers are putting out there. 

Leeds International Film Festival
https://www.leedsfilmcity.com/

What do I hope to gain from going to this?
This is a local event, so I would not need to travel very much, it would be really good for establishing myself as a Leeds based filmmaker.  It would also be really good to gain contacts within the industry and network with those people and build up a network of people who I can ask to collaborate with me.  It would be really good to volunteer there, I think it's a good festival - it's international as well, so I'll be able to see the cultural differences between animation and the wider film industry as well.

Threshold festival  
https://thresholdfestival.co.uk/

What do I hope to gain from going to this?
From attending this festival, industry experience and networking with other artists can be gained. I have already been involved in this music and art based festival twice, as one of the official photographers. I was asked back again this year, but am unable to attend, due to university work. This festival is of particular interest to me, as being behind a camera gives me confidence. I've also been talking with the event organisers about expanding the event to accommodate animation and digital media based art as well.  So watch this space. 

Cartoon Forum 2019 

http://www.cartoon-media.eu/cartoon-forum/cartoon-forum-2018-1

What do I hope to gain from going to this?
As this event is in France, I may consider going once I graduate.  It seems as though this event is more aimed at professionals, however, it would still be good to go to see what a professional pitch looks like to gain funding

Other Film festivals

I may consider going to although as they are both very far away the will require a lot of planning. I feel as though I would benefit through, both mentally and for my animation awareness to.

Edinburgh Short Film Festival 

https://www.edinburghshortfilmfestival.com/

aNEmates presents – Show and Tell 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1948188995487217/

My LinkedIn 
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jenny-leece-2a9650174

Study Task 3 - Who Do I Want To Be?

SWOT Analysis

Personal strengths.

I am am diligent in my approach to work, and endeavour to work well as part of a team. When I apply myself I can work excessively, and be a workaholic, to meet a deadline. When working in groups, I tend to be a good contributor, but do have high expectations of others, to adopt a similar ethos. I am good at water colour backgrounds, and character development. I can maintain by straights by continuously striving to be a productive member of the team in collaborations.

Weaknesses and how I intend to address these

I have dyslexia which restricts my ability to process information, read, and write. With dyslexia support I can overcome this. I am quite shy and quiet and can be too self critical. I'm also quite socially awkward in conversations. To overcome this, I have attended a number of auditions to be in various musical productions put on by Leeds University musical theatre.

Study Task 6

Study Task 8 - Working Freelance/Self Employment

Assuming i work 7.5 hours a day my day rate £150

• Develop an agreement to work contract (Word Doc)

• 
  

• Develop an invoice (Word Doc)

Study Task 10 - It's Showreel Time!

OddSocks A Creative Media Production Collective. Study Task 9, Studio Brief 3

Heres a quick overview of everything that we have so far.

PP Notes:

Name of collective: OddSocks Collective

Members: Devon Short, Jenny Leece, Petra Taylor and Katarina Sucikova

Roles:

Jenny Production Manager, Creative Director, Consultant Technical Director

Petra HR, Finance. Admin

Katarina Lead Visual Development, Lead stop motion Animator, Material resources, Market Researcher

Devon Background artist, key animator, social media marketing, 3D Modeler

Protentional Projects and Live Briefs

D&AD

YCN

Sustainability Brief

Studio requirements

Pet friendly

Communal space

Stop motion space

Softwares:
Dragon Frame
Adobe Suite
Toom Boom
Tv Paint
Google Sketchup for 3d references
Blender?

Hardware

Computers

Cameras

Backup system

Funding

Princess trust

Arts Council

BFI

Our skills:
P: Script & Storyboard, model making, puppets, visual development
J: Script & Storyboard, visual development, organisation
K: Script & Storyboard, Set, Background,

D: Key poses, backgrounds, 3D

My Role for Study Task 9, Studio Brief 3

My role within Studio Brief 3 was to gather information regarding computer specifications to plan a budget and create computers within said budget. Creating computers costs less than buying pre-made ones.

I looked at graphics tablets and which screen tablets would be best for us, given that we are a start-up company and that we would not necessarily have the backing that big studios have.  So I looked at Wacom alternatives and found that the XP Pen Artist 16 Pro was the best option, as it had better reviews and offered better specifications.  In addition to this, I also used my personal bias to fulfil this requirement as I have purchased one myself and found the quality of the screen to be on par with Wacom.

The studio will use these pen display tablets as the primary monitor for the computer set up. However, in addition, I have budgeted for 2 additional monitors to be used for 2 of the computer setups to give a dual screen experience.

I also budgeted for Cherry MX Keyboards and mice, as these are of a higher specification than regular keyboards. As we planned to have a stop-motion workspace, I also had to budget for this.  I budgeted for Dragon Frame Set up, which included the cost of an entry-level DSLR compatible with Dragon Frame software.

For the software, as I spent so much on the hardware, I decided to primarily look at cost-effective options.  I looked at OpenToonz and Blender   I looked at the Adobe Suite but I think we are going to need Photoshop, Aftereffects, and Premiere Pro and Dragonframe. From here I was able to produce a cost breakdown.

In addition to this, I also wanted to do something creative for the group, not just have a technical role, so I designed a website, based on Devon's logo and our aesthetic and business cards. I only did this in Photoshop, I didn't look at Web hosting websites because I thought it would be cheaper to code it myself in a programme such as Dreamweaver.

Studio Brief 2 - Going Live

   


















On the left is my submission for the CDC the theme was caveman. I came up for the idea of a caveboy that needed to kill a chicken in order to become a man.  On the right is my submission for the university t-shirt design competition.  It is a boat sailing on a thumbprint and was inspired by a drawing I did for InkTober.

What went well for the CDC? I really liked how the textured background came out. I think it shows a lot of depth. However, the character itself is too bright and could be desaturated a little. It was suggested to me that he should interact with the background in some way. But as I was running out of tiime I could add this. I also went back to my comfort zone of thick black outlines. I did try to it with a lineless look, however. This was taking too long so I decided just to line it instead.

What went well for the t-shirt design competition?
I thought the idea was quite unique. I remembered to change the settings to be CMYK. As this is the best representation of how it would look printed. Unfotrontaky, I didn't win. However, I did get some useful feedback from Kat she said that u could possibly change the rotation on the boat a little and maybe put some sort of logo or symbol on the past. She also said I should consider how it would look printed black and white or with the blue background taken away.

Employability Fortnight

Week 1

First session
Week one involved working on our presentation skills with the bulb people/company? I think the majority of our class went into the session with notepads with the expectation that we watch someone drone on about employerbility and how we could get a job. It turned out to be the complete oppersit of that. From the moment we sat down we where on our feet. the session was very interactive and it felt as though they had done there resherch on animation.

Social media
The soical media session was a bit of a miss. The guy kept going on abput linked in and only linked in. In addition to this is knowlage seemed very basic. It was basic information that we already knew or could easly find out ourselves. In addition this he clearly handt done his resherch on our animation degree because he asked us if we had exams.

Learning to network
this session was run by the bulb people. It felt very well put together. agin it was very interactive we learnt how to appropriately network and we leart waht to say through exerises and and tutorials. Very little time was spent sitting down, which was a nice change of pace .

Week 2

learning to present
This was a follow up session , putting what we learned in the week proper to practical use. By giving a mpressentation. Me and my team decided to do it on pancakes because it allowed us to do something different which was a nice change of pace from learning about animation all the time.

Self confidence/self motivation
The thids session was good because it helped us evaluate our own lives especially from a professional and personal standpoint. I realised that I really don't give enough time from interested outside of animation/art. Before coming to uni I liked dancing and trampolining,. At the start of the academic year, I went climbing with kat and really enoyed it. I even debated joining the Leeds Becket Climbing Society.. however, as the pace of work ramped up I found myself spending more and more time on animation/art. Because I was spending so much time doing the same thing, I found that I would feel really burnt out and so id just procrastinate and watch netflix for 6+ hours which then gave me anixety and then the anxiety led to depression and then i just wouldn't leave my flat for maybe 1 or 2 weeks.

life after uni
This session got me really thinking about my future and my outlook on life. During the session, we where asked to draw where we thought we'd be a year after graduation. I have a dark sense of humour, so I drew a grave stone. but on a serious note, it did make me think about my anxiety and how it effects my life. we also talked about what opportunity we would have after uni.

I would like a job that doesnt negatively effect my mental helth, which any creative job can do. It is because of this that I think I'd maybe like to go into teaching although i am not sure yet.

Follow up
As a follow up i decided ro book a session with the careers officer at the uni. I wanted to discus  with her the possibility of doing a masters after I graduate. I also want to go travelling and wanted to disscuss my options with regards to that.

I either want to fo a masters in Crative Media Production or PGCE in teaching. I either want to expand my creative skills or go down an avenue that has slightly more stable job prospects.

Study Task 7 - Social Media Pro

https://www.facebook.com/Jenny_Animates
https://twitter.com/Jenny_animates
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jenny-leece-2a9650174
https://www.youtube.com/user/DragonRidingHood
https://www.instagram.com/jenny_animates/

How I use social media.
Although I primary use Instagram I do have a facebook page set up for me to post my art and animations. However, I don't use it as much as I should. Facebook is a blogging site; it is not possible to share other people's posts, as your own page.  In addition to this, it is also difficult to post on other people's pages as your own page. A separate app or website containing your page with features optimised for the business end of social media would be a more user-friendly alternative.

Instagram is a similar platform, primarily used for sharing ideas and images. One of my goals is to post my animation and my artwork more often - at least twice a month. As it has a wider demographic, I upload my animations onto YouTube, although my channel is not linked to my other accounts. YouTube has a wider global reach as you can share it to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Overview
The platforms I use the most are LinkedIn and Instagram, as they enable me to post regularly, and they have a very user-friendly format. They also have a more targeted audience, as they are mainly aimed at professionals.

Consider expanding/contracting your focus

I am going to stay with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. I may replace my YouTube with a Vimeo as this is considered to be a more professional platform. I could also post my small animations to my Vimeo/YouTube account.

In addition to this, I could also post my WIPS (work in progress) to my other social media accounts. I could also engage more with my audience by daily commenting and liking more of their posts.

Plan
I will aim to post on social media every two weeks, specifically on Instagram.  I will also aim to post WIPS once a week. I have also set up a professional Facebook account for my animations specifically and have decided to delete my Jennifer Catherine Art Page, as it was inactive and does not represent my current skills.

I have also created a Gmail for my animations so that people will know how and where to contact me. I have decided to brand myself as Jenny Animates, as this is the most accurate description of what I do, whereas, 'Jennifer Catherine Art' was too general and did not specify the kind of art I made.